A wild Duke win helps all 1, 2, and 3 seeds advance to the Sweet 16. Meanwhile, Jeremy Lamb’s buzzer beater gave the Raptors back-to-back home losses in Toronto. Tonight, the Oklahoma City Thunder will try to help their Western Conference seeding with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies. We’ll have to wait until Thursday for more Madness. Here’s a sports betting recap from a crazy Sunday and a lookahead to Monday.
Late Foul Saves Duke from Fall
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A tip-in shy from setting up a future 30 for 30 documentary, Duke dodged 7-foot-6 bullet in a 77-76 win over UCF.
The win came in large thanks to a late foul called on Tacko Fall. The foul was drawn as Zion Williamson drove to the basket, colliding into Fall with 17 seconds remaining. The basket fell, pulling Duke within one and giving Fall, the 7-foot-6 big man from Senegal, his fifth foul.
Williamson would miss the free throw, but with no Tacko to rebound, Williamson got the easy put-back to give Duke a 77-76 lead with 12 seconds left.
UCF had two more chances to win but the ball couldn’t find the inside of the net.
The win would have been the biggest upset in the tournament thus far, as UCF was +900 on the moneyline. The upset would have been even more poetic considering the context.
UCF is coached by Johnny Dawkins, who played under Mike Kryzewski at Duke from 1982-1986
Dawkins used 7 foot 6 Fall to execute a great defensive game plan, stopping Duke down low most of the game and forcing Duke to shoot from outside (they did go 10-for-25 from three). But Dawkins couldn’t outcoach his mentor when all was said and done.
With UCF up three, Dawkins kept Fall guarding the basket inside the semi-circle instead of giving up an easy two and opting for a free-throw contest. Duke finished 7 for 12 from the free-throw line, while UCF was 15 for 20.
Of course, that’s a lot easier say in hindsight. And if it wasn’t for a missed oop to take a 76-70, the foul might not have even mattered.
Maybe there’s 30 for 30 in the making after all….The Oop That Never Was?
By the end of the night, every single 1, 2, and 3 seed survived the Madness to move on to the Sweet 16. Despite the chalk advancing, only one perfect bracket is left across all major online bracket contests.
No. 4 seed Florida State and No. 1 seed Gonzaga (-7, O/U 147.5) start the Sweet 16 in Anaheim, California Thursday night while No. 2 seed Tennessee takes on No. 3 seed Purdue (+1, O/U 146.5) in Louisville, Kentucky.
Stat of the Day:
Duke’s offense was 7 for 20 and scored only 14 points in the paint with Tacko Fall on the court (25 minutes). In the 15 minutes Fall was off the court, Duke went 10 for 12, scoring 20 points inside the paint.
Buzzer Beater Takes Down Toronto
While most people were busy watching Duke escape, Jeremy Lamb threw up a 48-foot three-pointer to help the Charlotte Hornets upset the Toronto Raptors 115-114 at the buzzer.
The heave cashed +550 moneyline tickets for Charlotte bettors, and kept the Hornets two games back from the eighth spot in the East.
Tonight’s four-game NBA slate features an 8pm ET game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies.
The Thunder are 6-point road favorites in the matchup, and hope to help their playoff seeding in the Western Conference.
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- NJ-CO-MI-VA-IN-TN-AZ-LA-NY
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- NJ-IN-IA-AZ-PA-VA
- 2nd Chance Bet up to $500!
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Oklahoma City could end up with anything from the three seed to the last spot in the West. Lucky for the Thunder, they get to play six for their remaining nine games at home.
The Thunder are 2-0 against Memphis this year (1-1 ATS) and have plenty to play for tonight. I expect them to build off their most recent win in Toronto, making it back-to-back covers against the number on the road. Breakfast Pick: Oklahoma City -6
Injury Report
The Portland Trail Blazers’ CJ McCollum is confirmed out against the Brooklyn Nets tonight. McCollum will miss his fourth game in a row after spraining his knee against the Spurs over a week ago.
Prop Shop: Damian Lillard Over/Under 8.5 Assists
With CJ McCollum out, Damian Lillard has three straight games with 9 assists or more, including games with 12 and 15 assists. McCollum will be back soon, but Lillard should continue to see heavy usage and dish the rock tonight. Breakfast Pick: Over 8.5 Assists (FanDuel)
Quick Links
The calm before the storm at Atlantic City sportsbooks.
Don’t forget to check out Casale’s NCAA Tournament breakdown.
Looking for college hoops podcasts? Here’s your playlist for the big dance.
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